4 Alabama foods make Southern Living’s Food Hall of Fame
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Southern Living took on the impossible task of trying to find the 50 best foods across the region to create a Food Hall of Fame.
Our state had four popular staples that made the list including:
- Wickle’s Pickles
- Conecuh Sausage
- Big Bob Gibson’s white sauce
- Golden Flake chips
While we think Alabama should have been even more represented on the list, it’s hard to disagree with the trio of foods that made the cut.
“There’s not enough time for us to do justice to every treasured bite and sip in the South. But after countless polls, tastings, arguments, and agreements, these are the 50 Southern-born foods and drinks we don’t want you to miss.”
Southern Living’s Food Hall of Fame
Keep reading to learn more about why these three made the list + let us know what local foods you would add to the Hall of Fame.
Wickle’s Pickles from Dadeville
You don’t even need to be a pickle lover to be obsessed with Wickle’s. They provide a wide variety of flavor to go with the classic pickle chips including:
- Banana pepper rings
- Jalapeno slices
- Hula relish
- Okra
- Sandwich spread
“Since 1998, this brine (a 90-year-old family secret) has added zing to all kinds of vegetables, including okra. The company formed when brothers and co-owners Trey and Will Sims quit their day jobs to start making pickles commercially with their friend Andy Anderson.”
Southern Living
Conecuh Sausage from Evergreen
Conecuh may be the first signature food that comes to mind for most Alabamians. The company first started in 1947 and has grown from just making sausage to what is now a go-to destination for travelers.
Conecuh still keeps things simple but have expanded to a few different flavors including:
- Original
- Hickory smoked
- Spicy + hot
- Cajun
- Cracked black pepper
“Thanks to Conecuh’s cult following, road-trippers from across the country often make the pilgrimage to Evergreen, a small town in South Alabama, to visit the beloved brand’s gift shop. The family-owned business is our go-to for everything from game day to backyard barbecues.”
Southern Living
Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q White Sauce from Decatur
Big Bob Gibson is no stranger to accolades like this one. Most recently, the restaurant was named the state’s best BBQ joint by Southern Living and Big Bob himself was inducted into the national Barbecue Hall of Fame.
But at the center of most of these awards is the signature white sauce that is now more than a century old.
“Although their Original White Sauce was created in 1925, the tangy vinegar-and-mayo concoction gained more prominence when it was bottled in the 1990s.”
Southern Living
Golden Flake chips from Birmingham
The chips may no longer be produced in Birmingham but Golden Flake is certainly still an Alabama staple in our minds.
“These chips still hold a special place in the hearts of locals, many of whom grew up taking school trips to the Golden Flake factory. Utz Brands (a producer of many packaged snacks, including Zapp’s) now owns the business, but the chips are still as thin and crispy as ever.”
Southern Living
